2013-02-06 15:32:20 -

AZERSPACE/AFRICASAT-1 a COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE SET FOR LAUNCH ABOARD ARIANE
                                     ROCKET

-- 30(th) Orbital-built Commercial GEOStar Satellite Will Provide Communications
    Services for Azerbaijan, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia --

(Dulles,  VA 6 February 2013) - Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of
the  world's leading space  technology companies, announced  today that it is in
final  preparations  for  the  launch  of  the Azerspace/Africasat-1a commercial
communications  satellite  for  Azercosmos,  Open  Joint    Stock  Company  of the
Ministry  of  Communications  and  Information  Technologies  of the Republic of
Azerbaijan.   Designed, manufactured  and tested  at Orbital's  Dulles, Virginia
satellite  production  facilities,  Azerspace/Africasat-1a is  scheduled  to  be
launched  aboard  an  Ariane  5 rocket  from  Kourou,  French Guiana on February
7, 2013.

Following   its   launch,  the  satellite  will  undergo  in-orbit  testing  and
verification  that all  subsystems are  operating as  planned.  Once  testing is
complete  and the spacecraft  is positioned at  its orbital location, day-to-day
operations  of Azerspace/Africasat-1a will  be handed  over to Azercosmos, which
will  continue to operate  the spacecraft from  its control centers  in Baku and
Nakhchivan,  Azerbaijan.  These facilities were designed and built by Azercosmos
to  support the installation of the  ground control systems provided by Orbital,
including  ground antennas, radio-frequency electronics, computer platforms, and
the  software used to  command, monitor and  control the Azerspace/Africasat-1a
satellite.

With an anticipated service life of 15 years, Azerspace/Africasat-1a is based on
Orbital's  flight-proven GEOStar-2 platform. The hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite
will  generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power and carry 36 active
transponders,  providing communications services  to Azerbaijan, Europe, Africa,
Middle  East  and  Central  Asia.  Azerspace/Africasat-1a will  operate  from an
orbital  location at  46 degrees East  longitude through  an arrangement between
Azercosmos  and MEASAT Satellite  Systems of Malaysia,  which owns the rights to
the orbital slot.

"The  Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite is a critical  component for the Republic
of   Azerbaijan   to   expand  its  communications  infrastructure  and  enhance
connectivity  with other  parts of  the world,"  said Mr.  Christopher Richmond,
Orbital's Senior Vice President of Communications Satellites. "This is the tenth
GEOStar-2 satellite  we've built in the last two years. We are now finishing our
preparations and gearing up for a successful launch."

Orbital's  customer for  the Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite  is the Azercosmos
Open  Joint  Stock  Company  of  the  Ministry of Communications and Information
Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  Incorporated in 2010, Azercosmos is
the  premier satellite operator  in both Azerbaijan  and the Caucasus region. It
will  provide  satellite-delivered  communications  services and highly reliable
satellite  platforms to  broadcasting, broadband,  and government customers with
the  launch of Azerspace/Africasat-1a and  other forthcoming satellite projects.
 Click here to learn more.

About Orbital
Orbital  develops  and  manufactures  small-  and medium-class rockets and space
systems  for commercial, military and civil government customers.  The company's
primary  products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit,
geosynchronous-Earth  orbit and planetary  spacecraft for communications, remote
sensing,  scientific and defense missions;  human-rated space systems for Earth-
orbit,  lunar and other missions; ground-  and air-launched rockets that deliver
satellites  into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor
and  target  vehicles.   Orbital  also  provides satellite subsystems and space-
related  technical  services  to  government  agencies  and  laboratories.  More
information about Orbital can be found at  www.orbital.com.

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                               Notes to editors:

Contact:
Barron Beneski (703) 406-5528
Public and Investor Relations
beneski.barron@orbital.com




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Source: Orbital Sciences Corporation via Thomson Reuters ONE
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